Kevin Spacey urges fans to ‘wait for evidence’ in video message as sexual assault charge announced

House of Cards actor releases YouTube clip titled ‘Let me be Frank’

Kevin Spacey has urged fans to “wait for the evidence” in a remarkable video posted online – in which he assumes the voice of House of Cards character Frank Underwood – hours after a sexual assault charge against him was announced.

One charge of indecent assault and one of battery were confirmed against the actor in connection with the alleged sexual assault of the son of a Boston television anchor. Spacey is due to appear in court on 7 January.

Almost as quickly as the charges were announced – first reported by the Boston Globe – Spacey posted the video in which he urged people to wait for the evidence before making a judgement.

He did so in the voice, and persona of Underwood, the House of Cards character he played for five seasons until he was fired from the show after being accused of inappropriate sexual advances by actor Anthony Rapp, who said the alleged incident happed 30 years ago when he was aged just 14. Last year, Spacey said he did not remember the encounter but apologised for any “inappropriate drunken behaviour”.

“I know what you want,” Spacey says in the video posted on Monday, titled “Let me be Frank”.

“Oh sure, they may have tried to separate us, but what we have is too strong, it’s too powerful and after all, we shared everything, you and I. I told you my deepest, darkest secrets. I showed you exactly what people are capable of. I shocked you with my honesty, but mostly I challenged you and made you think. And you trusted me even though you knew you shouldn’t. So we’re not done, no matter what anyone says. And besides, I know what you want – you want me back.”

Dressed in a red apron bearing Father Christmas patterns and apparently speaking from a kitchen, the actor asked those watching not to jump to conclusions as to his guilt, saying “you’re smarter than that”.

He adds: “Because I can promise you this, if I didn’t pay the price for the things we both know I did do, I’m certainly not going to pay the price for the things I didn’t do.”

Spacey is accused of assaulting the teenager at a bar in Boston in July 2016.

The alleged victim is the son of former news anchor Heather Unruh, who first made the allegation during a press conference in November 2017, the Associated Press said. Ms Unruh said the actor bought her son “drink after drink” before allegedly putting his hands down the 18-year-old’s trousers and placing his hand on his genitals.

Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe told Associated Press that Spacey was due to be arraigned on a charge of indecent assault and battery at Nantucket District Court on 7 January. A spokesperson for Spacey did not immediately respond to enquiries from the media. It is not known whether the actor has a lawyer or has entered a plea.

The video, posted to Spacey’s official Twitter account, was his first social media post since October last year when he became involved in accusations of sexual misconduct, as many figures in the media and entertainment industry faced such allegations. The claims formed part of the #MeToo movement, triggered in part by accusations of sexual assault against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who has denied the accusations.

In the aftermath of the allegations about Spacey, his character as the cynical congressman from South Carolina’s 5th congressional district who makes it all the way to the Oval Office, was killed off by Netflix. A sixth and final series, featured only his absence.

Netflix has yet to comment on the video. Police in London have six open sexual assault investigations into Spacey, alleged to have taken place in London and Gloucester.